Prelude
by nomnomfood
Summary: The rukh tie people together and tear them apart. In a world that tramples on hope, stomps on dreams, and spits in the face of freedom, Pyrrha wants only one thing: to protect those that have become precious to her. For that, she will throw away pride, love, and her own dreams. It won't be much longer now, until her destiny comes calling for her.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Pyrrha," Hakuei's gentle hand came to rest on one of her favorite soldier's shoulders. "If you want to take a leave of absence, I would be more than happy to. I know that-"

The reply was harsh and staunch, and the voice that came out was not befitting of a woman who looked so gentle. It spoke of the horrors that she had seen; war, blood, death, carnage. Some days Hakuei wished she could spirit the girl away, far away, and let her live the life she deserved, where she and her family could be happy. Instead, she had to take comfort in the fact that she was strong enough to face whatever the world threw at her, and even after she fell, she would crawl back up to the top, even if it cost so much blood that the girl couldn't see straight. "Lady Hakuei, I beg your pardon, but this is no time for me to go back to my family."

She was right, of course, from her non-Kou sounding name, to her long hair that had no place on a soldier. Because right now, Hakuei's life was in danger. She had always been in danger, being the First Imperial Princess of Kou, but now people were beginning to act on it. Ryosai was at the head of it, that much Pyrrha was sure of. She didn't dare tell the Hakuei, seeing that she was the kind of woman who had the mindset that you had to have immeasurable trust in all of your fellow militarymen to succeed. She had no intention of throwing off her mindset, and once she was betrayed, Hakuei would have o problem seeing Ryosai as an enemy. Until then, she could not speak out against him.

"Yes, then you should take a rest before we begin to move out to meet the Kouga clan, okay?"Hakuei always worried about the girl. Pyrrha was always by her side, yet Paimon had not made her a household vessel, allowing her even less protection than Seisyun had. She was also a fair bit younger than the rest of her company, having enlisted in the army as soon as she was eighteen. Now, two years had passed, and it had become undeniable that she was a woman.

Hakuei herself had endured those lecherous stares, but she had never minded them because, as the First Imperial Princess of Kou, the men could do nothing to act on them for fear of retribution. Pyrrha endure more than just stares, but somehow, throughout the years, she had not once been touched by a man. (Then Hakuei remembered that one day when Pyrrha was nineteen, and she chopped off a man's hand when he tried to touch her. The blood had gotten everywhere, and oh, how he begged for mercy, but still, she stepped on his bloody forearm with a mean glint in her eyes, and told everyone around them that should anybody try to approach her again, that was what would happen to them.)

Pyrrha pursed her lips, hand tightening on her sword. "Yes, Lady Hakuei." She twirled on heel, back now facing Hakuei. If any other general saw her do this, she would be punished for disrespecting Hakuei, but to the First Imperial Princess, this was a sign that Pyrrha trusted her. If she didn't trust her, then she would have expected a dagger through her back/

Unlike the other soldiers, who slept twenty to a tent, Pyrrha got her own, very small, tent. It was one of the many luxuries that Hakuei had implored for her to take, and one of the few that she had taken, no matter how reluctantly. If she shared a tent with somebody else, they would surely see her Night Terrors, and she did not want anybody to ook down upon her more than they did already. Unsheathing her sword, she dreamed of her life prior to joining the army.

 _Life was hard, work was harder. Toiling under the hot, hot sun where the other slaves by her side were dropping like flies, a young Pyrrha was whipped for not working fast enough. The whip cracked, and skn broke. So much blood, so many scars that they weaved a pattern on her back, where all of the lashes intertwined._

Pyrrha slid a rough piece of cloth against her sword, taking off all of the dirt and grime that it had accumulated. This little routine of her took nearly half an hour every day, and however much she hated it, she did it without fail.

 _She thought she was lucky when she was transported on a caravan with other young children who were considered 'cute', 'adorable', or 'beautiful'. She did not know which category she fit into, but for a while, it seemed like all of her prayers had been answered. Traveling with that desert caravan was probably the best time of her life. She had formed friends, something that no slave should have been able to have. There had always been enough food, enough water, enough sleep._

One side of the cloth was now black with dirt. She flipped it over and continued.

" _Pyrrha, Pyrrha, did you hear? We're being sold to this really nice lady called Aum Madaura! She'll give us an education and everything!" Innocent, innocent eyes that would be dead so soon. Pyrrha had been five. Ao had been seven, but she had been smaller than her for the past year that they had known each other. One of the longest lasting friendships, though it had only been spurred on when they had been taken together. Before this, they had not said more than a word to each other at a time. Pyrrha took Ao's hand and prayed for better times, though she had not been educated on any religions._

Dip the cloth into the water, wring it out, keep shining the sword.

" _She'll fetch a high price." Madaura had said, when she thought that Pyrrha couldn't hear her. "When she grows up, she will be quite beautiful, and already, she had long limbs. Pale skin is typically a thing for nobles, and green eyes are unusual. Get her a higher education that the other slaves brought in with her." The leader of the caravan had dared to speak out against her. "Lady Madaura, I beg your pardon, but I wish to bring to your attention the scars on her back. It seems as though she had been one of the more disobedient slaves." Pyrrha could never imagine her face at that moment, but the words after made this lady who bought her seem like a god. "That doesn't matter. Her face is more important. Make sure she doesn't get anymore scars though."_

 _What a fool she had been._

Rub the blade against the sharpening stone while the sword is still wet.

 _The torture was finally beginning to come, because she was a disobedient child of hers. No longer was she just a slave, she was Aum Madaura's beloved daughter, beautiful, smart daughter, daughter that was too smart for her own good. "I'm cold," Pyrrha said, unable to hug herself to keep the heat that was fleeing her body. She cursed the boy named Fatime with all of the bad words she had heard the people from the desert caravan said. Fatima shook his head in shame at her. "That's no way for a child of Mother's to be acting. Don't you want to make her happy when you're sold? You're going to be sold to a very high paying bidder, and they want you to be a delicate flower." Pyrrha did not say anything else for the rest of the day, and her toes had curled up, body trying to get out of the water._

Spread the wax, so it would not get dirty as soon as she put it back in the sheathe.

" _Ao is such a loyal daughter," Madaura had said as she cradled the girl in front of her. It was then that Pyrrha knew the true cruelty of the people in the world. Her first friend, best friend, whose neck was snapped in front of her. "It's your fault for making me waste such a valuable asset." They were just assets, not children. All of it had been a lie. She felt rage stronger than ever on the outside, but those lessons on decorum had not been nothing. She played the part, and dropped to her knees, tears streaming down her face. Ao's body had been left in front of her, and she had stayed there for the rest of the day. She grieved so much that she didn't notice when a person came up to her, eyes dazed and soul lost. He took Ao's body away from her and stroked her hair until she calmed down. When she came to serve Mother the next day, she was every part the loving child she was supposed to play._

Place the sword in the sheathe, place it next to the worn down pillow.

 _Pyrrha had been sold secretly the next day, all the while Madaura was muttering something about 'damn fourteen year old boys with purple hair and golden eyes'.She had been sold to a high ranking family in Reim, and unlike what Madaura had told her, she wasn't a slave for beauty. She was going to be a fighter slave, and she found that she liked that much better than any decorum lessons she had endured. "If you win fifty fights, you'll be free." Those were the words that would signal her path to freedom. She trained so hard every day that the blisters on her hand formed faster than she could count. "Did you hear," she heard somebody whisper soon after she had been sold. "Madaura's company has been entirely liquidated. She no longer sells any slaves, and all of her assets have been transferred over to Sinbad Trading Company. Pyrrha cursed her bad timing. If they had only been taking a few months later, Ao would have been freed with fought harder than ever for her freedom._

Collapse her armor and arrange it so it would be ready for the next day.

" _I've heard she fights like a wild animal." The nobles tittered from their balconies, overlooking the bloodbath that was about to occur. "Yes, she really was a good investment." Pyrrha walked into the coliseum, thin and ragged, lopsided hair clearly cut by battle, not by choice. But Muu thought she was a warrior, judging by the way she held herself, with that burning look of determination in her would make a good person for Lady Scheherazade to have under her command. Then, she wasn't a Fanalis, so he had no business butting into her freedom. He walked away from the colosseum without seeing all of the blood that was scattered across the dirt, lone girl raising her broken sword up to the heavens, cuts and scratches evident everywhere, but posture strong and noble._

 _There was an influx in the rukh that day, and as she grew stronger, others grew more wary. Scherezade wondered who in Leam was strong enough to call that much rukh to them, but by the time she sent out a search party, all the traces of the rukh were already gone. That had been Pyrrah's fiftieth win, and she wanted nothing more than to get out of Leam._

Pray that she'll be able to sleep.

Scrunching up into a tiny ball inside of her sleeping bag, Pyrrha, the girl who towered over Hakuei though she was younger than her, the girl who had been subjected to so many cruelties, did not sleep that night, something she had been doing for the past week that they were on the road. She got a few hours of rest here and there, but really, she never wanted to close her eyes. She was too scared that it would bring back the image of Ao's limp, lifeless body in her hands as she sobbed over her. It was sad though, because the girl that had been so traumatized over death had killed so many since that day had passed her by.

By the time she made her way over to Kou, she was ten. Well, actually, she didn't know if she was exactly ten. For all she knew, she could have been seven, or she could have been eleven. But Aum Madaura had taken one look at her and said that she was five. She had spent a year there, and then four more years trying to battle her way out of the colosseum. So based on what her captor had said, yes, she was ten.

Pyrrha was grateful for Aum Madaura, because she showed her the cruelties of the world, and because she was now educated. She knew how to read, write, play musical instruments, and cook: everything that a nobleman could have ever wanted her to do. Not many people thought that a little girl would be very good at anything except for getting in the way though, so it took her a while to find a job. Even when she did, it was only odd jobs. But she also found people precious to her during those years.

The horn sounded. It was time to get up again, to do another day of travel. She took her place at the rear guard, watching Ryosai's every move. Hakuei had become an important person to her, and she was not willing to let any of her important people die, no, not again.

* * *

Yay, new Magi story. This part is heavily background, but all of the new chapters will be new occurrences. Takes place just as canon is starting.

I love reviews, follows, and favorites!


	2. Chapter 2

When you give people the chance, they will do anything to raise himself into a higher position. That's the kind of person Ryosai was, something Pyrrha had been aware of for a while. How could she not notice? He was literally oozing confidence, and he held himself like he already was in a higher position than the Princess.

"Oh look, the sleeping beauty awakens," Ryosai sneered at her. "Taking one of our precious tents, and making Lady Hakuei give extra attention to you." His armor was bulkier than the rest of the soldiers, as if boasting of his greatness. From her childhood, Pyrrha recalled a bwon little fish that seemed like it was bigger than all of the other fish, but the moment when she caught it, all of the air had gone out of it, leaving her only a tenth of any other fish. She had been upset that day, because that time would be the only opportunity she had to get herself food.

Pyrrha would pay proper respects to the slimy fish until she ate it. She bowed to Ryosai, one hand behind her back, torso parallel to the ground. "Senincho Ryosai, I beg your pardon. As a woman unaccustomed to the culture of war, I can only serve. I hope this will not strain relations between you and Lady Hakuei, for her kindness to me in underserved."

He scoffed, and the small entourage of men he had behind him followed suit. "The mighty servant of Lady Hakuei bows down to me. You see? THis is why should be the one to command the army, not a little princess. She doesn't know how to put her foot down." Turning to Pyrrha, still bowing, he did not tell her 'at ease' and left her there to wait for the command that would never come.

She was well aware when he left, not because he had such a big presence that wherever he moved, she was aware of him, but because of the clanking his armor made when he walked away. He would be a horrible choice for any stealth missions, and it was a good thing that he was in the army commanding bumbling fools, rather than a scout. He would have been dead by now, if that was his job.

When Pyrrha was sure that he was out of sight, she stood from her bow and walked stiffly to the house that she had been allowed, a beautiful grey dappled bay. Last night she had groomed him, but there was no harm in letting the horse indulge in a few more brush strokes through her mane. Right now they were breaking for lunch before the entered the Kouga tribe's village. Ryosai was an idiot to believe that he truly bowed down before his power, but there wasn't much you can do about idiocy. You see, you can train and train and become the strongest person in the world, but things like logical thinking and charisma were not things that could be taught.

Not an hour later, the force of the Kou empire rode into the Kouga's village, and the men, nearly all warriors, took up swords and spears to protect their home. These were honorable men, much more so than Ryosai. Any one of them would make a better Senincho than he. But their pride would also be their downfall, that she had already determined. So many time did she see this happen, in different armies, different territories. Those who had the most pride had to undergo the worst trials to change.

It was a reason why Pyrrha frequently had things she called 'pride cleanses', where she humbled herself before the poorest, until she could no longer quite be called a respectable person. Yet still she was, not because of her actions, but because of her unrivalled strength, and for her position as one of the only women in the army.

Pride goes before a fall.

A young boy who didn't look like he originated from the Kouga tribe was going wild on a horse. He flew through the air, and the villagers hurried to help them. They were not fast enough to reach the boy before Hakuei did, taking control of the horse like it was the easiest thing to do. She dismounted and had Seisyun and Ryosai at her side. She spared a backwards glance at Pyrrha, but she did not come down from her steed, just in case there was need for a quick getaway.

"Please, help us unify the world," Hakuei pleaded. Pyrrha did not believe in the ideals that the Kou Empire preached, but the military was a good way to provide for her family, so she would endure any kind of ideology, no matter how strongly they warred with her own. Really, her only wish was to take care of those she loved, and if the military was how she was going to be able to do it, she wouldn't give up her position there for the world.

It was evident that the Kouga tribe did not agree with her.

A girl brought horse milk to Hakuei, and Pyrrha couldn't help but feel intrigued. What did they do to the milk so it became edible? Straight from a mare, milk was a strong laxative, and though it was unfortunate, Pyrrha knew that first hand from one of the many foolish things she had done when she was younger and had been trying to survive. Now in her spare time, she researched foods that you could find in nature, and what other uses they had. It turned out to be quite useful very often.

Ryosai knocked the milk bowl from the girl's hands, spilling the rink all over her. He knew that it had been a peace-offering, yet he still knocked it from her hands. There were only a few such things you could do that were so stupid before people got mad. If she was completely honest with herself, Pyrrha had been expecting this from the get go. Ryosai + aggravated villagers= negotiations that don't go well. But she wouldn't take matters into her own hands, not yet at least.

"I cannot allow the Princess to take a drink befitting of the poorest in our nation." Ryosai had too much pride, so much pride that it almost pained Pyrrha to look athim.

Hakuei put her hand up and admonished Ryosai, though not as harsh as Pyrrha would have if she was in her position.

"All of this village will be part of the Empire of Huang, so obey quietly!" He pointed his finger accusingly at all of them. "You should be grateful that we have chosen to save you from this disgusting life amongst horse dung." Ryosai should have seen it coming. Pyrrha watched the sword's arc curve downwards, but she made no motion to warm the man. He didn't deserve this, but then, the Kouga clan did not deserve what he had said to demean them. Everybody in this area held their heads with pride, and Pyrrha couldn't find it in her heart to be disgusted at all of them. Having pride was only natural.

"How dare you lower the level of our family," declared the one who had slashed Ryosai. It had just been his clothes, not even cutting through his skin. That showed that he had skills as a swordsman, and the potential to be a very good soldier. It was a pity that he was so quick to lash out. One had to be more calm and assess the situation better before doing anything as rash as that. "The Kouga clan will fight against you!"

Everybody retreated quickly after that, and Pyrrha was tempted to follow after them like she had originally intended to. She dd not, and instead dismounted from her horse, kneeling to the villagers of the Kouga tribe. "Do you think the actions of one soldier will assuage a village?" It was a different speaker than the boy who had slashed Ryosai.

"I do not hope to do any thing such as that. But I do apologize for that man's poor behavior. It does not reflect the Princess Hakuei's intentions. I realize that one person's words do not mean much in a situation such as these, but I can assure you that Ryosai will be punished when we are back in Kou, and demoted from his status immediately." A murmur went around the crowd, people with varying reactions all around her. She could feel that some wanted her dead, but she did not mind. Pyrrha continued, "Ryosai is a dangerous man, and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. As a person who has seen the death of many, I do not want to see the body count rise higher on either side." Instantly, swords were raised, fearing her words were a threat.

Not once moving from her kneeling position, she raised her eyes to look at them and said, "I apologize if I seem rude, but I speak the truth. I don't want any more people to get hurt, because all of you have somebody precious to you, close to your heart. In that respect, we are the same, though we are so vastly different. For me, I am risking the health of my loved ones to say this to you, so I hope you take my words into consideration." Mounting her house, giving her a loving pat on the side, she gave a glance backwards. "By the way, Hakuei and I would love to know the secret to your horse milk some day. I am sure that it is delicious."

It took her a few minutes to catch up to Hakuei back at base camp, but she had already faced off with Ryosai and remained staunch in her decision to wanting a peaceful way to subjugate them. She slif into step like she had never been gone from her side, and Hakuei did not ask any questions. It became vident that she had taken more time riding than she expected, because Hakuei had been visited by that small child, not of the Kouga tribe. The Imperial Princess told her that shet had good reason to believe that the boy was a magi, just like Judal.

Pyrrha had never met him, but she had heard stories of him, of how he was twisted and dark, and loved war so much that it couldn't possibly have been good. Something must have made him that way though, because all babies are innocent, but because they're so pure, they can get corrupted so easily. If anything, she felt bad for Kou's magi, who had too much free time and too little of a childhood. But a growing trend that Pyrrha noticed was that those who had their childhood taken from them early tended to be stronger in their conviction, more powerful. IN return for innocence, strength is given. Not nearly an equal trade, but it was enough for some.

It wasn't enough for her. She would have given the world to be innocent again, to not know that the world was bloody and cruel, that you had to fight tooth and nail to protect the bare minimum. But she found herself at the same place, over and over again, drawing the same conclusions.

Since she couldn't go back in time, she needed power. Power, that which had been aiding the corruption of people for so long nobody could remember a time before that. Because with power, pride came. And that was why Pyrrha aimed to get rid of pride, so she could never fall from power when she got there. It didn't matter if she had to grovel andlick the boots of those who were ranked high, but she would protect her loved ones.

Looking around, she did not see any trace of Ryosai. Whatever plan he had, it had been set into motion already. She shook her head and retreated to her tent. She would let today run its course, because right now, nothing she loved was in danger. Most likely, the Kouga villagers would not have listened to her. It was their own fault, she had warned them. Long ago, she had tried to warn Ryosai. He didn't stand for that.

With both knees on the ground, she began to clean her sword with a cloth again, not bothering to get up when she heard the thundering of horses approaching camp. Her tent was right next to Princess Hakuei's and when Ryosai's furious voice came thundering through the cloth walls of the tent, she knew his plan had failed.

"What grabs people's hearts isn't military force for domination by military forces will only usher in revenge one day. So instead, we must look to a sublime ideal." Hakuei laid her beliefs out for Ryosai to see, clearer than the night sky that they were underneath.

Pyrrha flipped her blade and rubbed the cloth on the other side.

A smirk could almost be heard in Ryosai's voice. "If that's the case, I won't stop you again. However, who will take care of the army while you're away? Will you let me temporarily take over?"

She wrung the cloth out and hung it to dry. Placing one side of her blade on the whetstone, she grinded the edge to sharpness.

"Very well, I leave things to you while I am away, Ryosai."

Flipping the blade to the other side, she pushed the blade against the stone with a steady assuredness.

Footsteps left the tent beside her, and Hakuei spoke to Seisyun in low whispers. If she wanted to leave with them, this would be her last chance.

Pyrrha untwisted the jar of wax, coated her blade with it until it shone brighter than the moon in the sky.

The heavy footsteps of horses riding away from camp was clear in the night air.

She sheathed her sword and placed it next to her pillow and picked up the armor that she had shed when she entered the tent, collapsing it.

Ryosai's laugh was louder than the sound that the horses had made galloping away from the camp at top speed.

Her head rested on the pillow, and she curled up into a tiny ball. Sleep still evaded her.

Both sides left her alone that morning, Ryosai's troops marching with pride in their leader and ill will towards Hakuei, the latter not wishing to involve someone who was not fully equipped in the way of protection.

Both sides were idiots, because having her with them could have made all the difference.

* * *

"Pyrrha He of the Western Subjugation Army now stands trial for treason." One of the many scholars in the Kou palace stood at First Imperial Prince Kouen's side, reading off a scroll because nearly nobody knew who she was in the kingdom. "She has been accused of conspiring with the traitor Ryosai, and not acting quickly enough to guard the First Imperial Princess."

Hakuei rushed into the room, out of breath. "Wait, my brother and king, she is innocent! I do not fault her, the only person at fault is Ryosai." Lazily, Kouen shifted his gaze to rest on his former cousin, now step-sister before looking back at the accused, who, as of yet, had not raised their eyes once to look him in the eyes.

"All retainers in the room may be dismissed. Only the accused and the First Imperial Princess of Kou need to remain in the room." The people around him grumbled, but did not resist. Whatever the Crown Prince wished, he would get. There were a few insistent retainers that said it would be dangerous for an important man such as himself to be left in the midst of a possible traitor. Even they ended up leaving when he repeated his command a second time, a hint of threat creeping into his voice.

"Hakuei, you say that this person is not at fault, but you have not spoken for any other person that has entered this room. Care to explain?" All of her army had been in this room except for the newly assimilated Kouga clan, and all of them had been condemned to a cut in their wages for the next three months. His attention was still focused on the lone girl in front of him, kneeling and never meeting his eyes.

"Lord Kouen, Pyrrha did not side with Ryosai, unlike the rest of the Western Subjugation Army. I trust her enough to say that she had nothing to do with his betrayal." Hakuei also kneeled, but she looked earnestly into her step-brother's eyes, imploring her to take pity on the girl. She didn't know much about Pyrrha, but she knew that she counted so much on the money she received from the military.

He looked over the scroll he had on his lap. "Is that so? There are records of other soldiers seeing her bowing down to Ryosai right before he betrayed Kou." It had been in several soldier's accounts, and with the numbers against her, things didn't look very good for the girl in front of him. Kouen addressed her directly. "Pyrrha He, do you wish to counter these soldier's claims?"

"No, I do not wish to counter what these soldiers have said. However, Crown Prince Kouen, if I may be so bold as to defend myself against this accusation, I can explain." Not once did she look up, not shifting on her knee at all, though he knew that position must have been incredibly uncomfortable.

"You may." He didn't bother to look at the girl, instead opting to look over the scrolls that told her history. She had an excellent track record for a young person, and a girl at that. Not many women were allowed a chance in Kou's military. She had entered at age 18, the lowest age one could enter the military at. He closed that scroll and opened a different one.

"Ryosai had belittled the princess, saying that she was too kind-hearted to ever become an effective leader, saying that the luxuries she afforded me were too much for someone of my station. I agreed with him but implored him to not think badly of Lady Hakuei, for her kindness was not weakness." She said the bare minimum but effectively carried her message across. Kouen's eyes scanned the scroll in front of him. She was not Kou-born, something he had deduced by her name. Earliest records of her dated back to ten years ago, implying that she had first entered the country at the age of ten without any parental guidance.

An orphan who took care of other orphans, he noted as the house she bought and the clothes she bought were obviously not for herself. Two children named Li and Wei had been officially under her care once she turned sixteen, though he assumed that she had been taking care of them before that.

"Hakuei, you may leave now." She was a good candidate based on everything that he read about her. Hakuei nearly jumped at his command.

"My brother and king, I cannot leave the room while the fate of one of my subordinates is determined!" No one could ever say that the princess had a small heart, because that would be a bald-faced lie.

"You needn't worry, she is pardoned for any potential treason. I have an offer for her." He glanced at the door, and Hakuei understood, leaving with a final side-long glance thrown to Pyrrha. Now Kouen stood from the throne he sat upon, taking his time descending the steps that separated him from Pyrrha. Even as he moved closer to her, she did not raise her head to look at him. "Rise, Pyrrha He." She followed his instructions to a T, getting off her knees and standing at full height. But since he did not command her to look him in the eyes, her eyes were still glued to the ground.

She was not disobedient, no, no by a long shot. He reached a hand out and tilted her chin up so he could see her eyes and determine whether she lied or not while he asked he questions. Eyes reflected back at him, he saw eyes that showed loyalty, but anything below that was carefully blank, as though she had erased all of her other emotions. "Would you be interested in joining my personal army?"

The reply was instant. "That depends on the circumstances, Crown Prince Kouen." Kouen could tell that she had some form of training as a noble or something of the like. Her stature was perfect in every way, and now that she was looking at him, she never strayed anywhere else but his eyes. The only thing she seemed to be missing was that faint fire of defiance, of pride, of not wishing to back down to him. Every single person he cornered like this had the look of cornered prey. She did not. She looked like she had accepted her fate, and would not fight back.

Pride, that was what this woman was missing. He let go of her chin and her gaze fell back to the carpeted floor. "What is it about the floor that captivates you so?" When he was not in a room of people watching his every room, he found that he had much more maneuverability.

"It is not that the floor is so interesting, though the rugs are beautifully woven, but rather the fact that I will pay proper respect to you, as custom demands." She was a novelty. Never before had he heard a voice so strong yet devoid of self-indulgence, vanity, pride. With all of the people he had observed in his life so far, if you were strong, you had pride, and if you were weak, you did not. Sometimes, even the weak had pride, broken and fragile as it was.

"And what are these so-called customs that I have never heard of?" He arched an eyebrow, despite knowing that the girl would not look at him to acknowledge it. Koumei would have teased him for showing more expression in his face at that moment than he had all year.

His mind was telling him to expect some sort of snark in her retort, because nobody could resist after he riled them. "Crown Prince Kouen, as heir to the throne and General of the Western Subjugation army, a humble soldier such as me should not dare to look you in the eyes for prolonged periods of time, for that would only say that we are waging our own, tiny little rebellion against you." It was an explanation, not a reprimand for seeming not to know.

"In any case, entering my personal army would give you a pay raise and a higher position. Of course, in return for the pay off, we will be going into more dangerous territories and holding more dangerous expeditions. Any questions?" He wasn't really expecting any, but he received one anyways.

She raised her chin, now looking every inch a noble lady, though she still wore a Kou soldier uniform. Looking him calmly in the eyes, monitoring his expression, she asked, "And if I die, would somebody protect my loved ones with their lives?"

Kouen felt like her eyes pierced him through the soul, and they looked so different than they had just moments ago when she was every inch docile and demure. Now she had claws out, and he found that he liked this version of her more. "Typically, should a soldier in my army pass, their family gets a stipend of 1,000 Huang a year, but for your case, if you pass, I shall personally look after your siblings."

Pyrrha lowered her eyes again, and all the fire disappeared. "Then I will join your personal army, Lord Kouen. May I ask for time to inform Lady Hakuei and my family?"

"Take today, then report to the Eastern Library to meet with me as soon as you arrive back in the palace. Your different responsibilities will be explained to you then."

She backed out of the room, body a ninety degree angle, not once turning her back on Kouen.

* * *

"Lady Hakuei." Pyrrha bowed to the First Imperial Princess, eagerly waiting right outside the doors for her. She hated to admit it, but the princess was an easy person to grow fond of, and her eyes reminded her so much of… Ao's. Blue and always shining genuinely, with trust and love that knew no bounds. If she didn't have those eyes, Pyrrha would have protected her fiercely, but as it stood now, there was too much of Ao present in the princess. If she began to protect her, that would mean she would bring back all of the unwanted memories that she has sealed away.

The two of them walked down the halls at Hakuei's silent request, and the silence and facial expression of Hakuei were so intense that it looked like she was in pain. After walking for a good five minutes, the tapestries and coloration of the hallways changed from gold and yellow to blue. "Pyrrha, you'll be leaving to join Kouen's army, won't you." Her voice was glass, a smooth, transparent material that revealed everything, something that was incredibly easy to shatter though it looked unbreakable.

"Yes, Lady Hakuei, I will be joining Lord Kouen's army. I apologize for any inconveniences this may cause you and wish you good fortune for your further subjugation attempts." The First Imperial Princess stood ramrod straight, heavy burden on her shoulders not making any difference in how she stood. Her gaze fell on the top of Pyrrha's bound hair, but the bow that she gave to her was just a useless pleasantry. She knew that she considered Pyrrha as one of her most trusted soldiers, one of her friends in the army, but she doubted that the other girl felt the same way. It gave her a sense of solidarity, a thing she had never been comfortable in her life. Only Seisyun seemed to drop the formalities, but even that required an empty room where nobody else was around.

She grasped the armored girl's hand with a sudden fervor, it was as though a disease had overtaken her and she was stating her last wishes. "Come with me." It was both a plea and a command, and both of them knew it. If she really wanted to, Pyrrha could have excused herself right then and there. She did not.

Together, they rushed down the hallways of the castle, nearly knocking down a few maids who stood in their way. Both of them, normally so courteous and well-mannered, did not even pause to say sorry to those whom they had offended. It was a desperate, mad dash that was a last attempt at friendship. After several turns, the tapestries of blue had not changed. Now, they were nearing Hakuei's personal quarters.

Her hands moved in practiced, reassured motions as they went through the process of pouring tea in the correct manner, an art that even her advisors had said was unnecessary to learn. UNderneath the facade that Hakuei had put up, she was trembling like a leaf. Losing people who were important to her was something that became her worst fear after her two older brothers and father died in the fire that fateful night. She knew she would not really be losing Pyrrha, but she couldn't help but revert back to her vulnerable state.

"You don't have to worry about your family," Hakuei reassured, though she heard Kouen's promise to her, that he would protect her family personally. "They will be taken care of even while you are away, if that is what you want." It was rose tea, an oddity in a palace full of heady spices and strong herbs. Pressing the cup to her lips, the tea that tasted like heaven to her only yesterday was bland.

"Thank you." It might have been a thank you to the tea, it might have been a thank you to the reassurance, it might have been both. Neither of them knew. "It's very kind of you to invite me into your personal chambers when I am but a lowly soldier."

It was with a passion that Hakuei now stood, the same fire burning in her eyes as when she had rallied the Kouga tribe to her side. "No Pyrrha, no, you are not just a lowly soldier. You are my friend, even if you will not acknowledge me." That was what Hakuei wanted to say, and the words burned a hole in the bottom of her stomach, where they resided, silenced by the fears of her mind. Instead, when she stood, she moved to a table just a little away from the one they were at now, turning her back on her former subordinate.

Lifting a small tray of sweets from the table she stood at, she brought it back to where Pyrrha sat. "Please, take one. They're too much for me to finish, and I'm sure that you're hungry after standing for the entire day." Indeed, going through every single soldier under her command was a tedious process and not one she wished to witness. She didn't even realize that Pyrrha was being tried until the last possible moment.

Taking a small pastry, the armored girl lifted it up to her mouth but didn't take a bite, not yet. She trusted Hakuei with her life, but there was something off about her. Her eyes darted around the room every half second, checking for who knew what. When she had first started doing that, she thought that Hakuei had been searching for the pair of eyes that were on them, but that couldn't be. The person had been following them since the two of them left from the throne room, and she would have acted like this from the first if she were concerned about that.

She rushed to the place where their follower was watching them, whispered a few words and pushed them out into the corridor. There were no other sounds, but Pyrrha could imagine silent steps taking off. Hakuei closed the door, eyes downwards cast. Every hair stood on edge. She might be mad for not following her when she and Seisyun had left, but Hakuei was reasonable; she had not gone to her tent and asked her, and Pyrrha had not involved herself in Ryosai's schemes.

Hakuei entwined a pale hand in her hair, causing a few strands from her hairpiece to come undone. "Pyrrha-"

There were no words, because there was nothing that could be conveyed through words between the two of them. Both of them were doers, not speakers. They were fighters, not diplomats, and right now, the art of words escaped them both. Hakuei looked like she was about to break and collapsed into Pyrrha's waiting arms when she held them out. Her arms had the steady strength of the strongest soldier, but the softness of a woman's. The tears that Hakuei had been holding in ever since her brothers died came rolling out all at once, in a silent, steady stream. Shoulders trembling, face buried in the crook of Pyrrha's arm, her world collapsed around her.

Pyrrha kept artfully silent, used to dealing with the different kinds of grieving people go through in life. She had given coins and food to the beggars on the street, rocking back and forth, bony hands unable to fend for themselves. She had rocked Li to sleep when he fell into a sorrow so deep, there was only so much she could do to pull him out. She had stroked Wei's hair until the screams of rage died in the back of her throat.

Hakuei's methods of coping were pretty in line with hers; channel all of your sorrow and rage to bettering yourself, for there was nothing to be done wallowing in pity. She did not know what had broken Hakuei so, for she was sure that there had to be something to make the strong princess cry so. She did not inquire.

She sat there until the trembling stopped and the choked sobs ceased.

* * *

This story will probably take the longest to update out of all of mine, mostly because i literally post as I write. When I'm done with a chapter, I post it. I don't do that with my other stories because I have a few backup chapters and extras that I can work off of, and I just end up writing more for them. This one, not so much.

Happy Holidays everybody! Here's hoping that there's lots of good food, good deals, and cheer, no matter what holiday you celebrate(or don't celebrate).

As always, Reviews, Follows, and Favorites are a big motivator.


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